First Tow

[dandeliongo]

My first tow today. I bought a zero turn riding lawnmower and was going to put it in the back. But after horror stories of the equipment falling off the ramps and going too fast into the bed and breaking the back window I decided to rent a trailer. Firstly I don't get the trailer assist. Every time I tried using it it showed the system wasn't currently available. I think that's what it said. Kept beeping telling me to stop to restart and then no assist. It was a trailer anyways, easy to lift on the hitch. The light tester in the app was cool. Also so was the camera angle of the sides when you turned the blinker on. Why doesn't it do that all the time? My Tesla has it. Fords side camera was WAY better though. Then there's the automatic range adjustment. Say what???? Now I see what scared some truck drivers away!

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[Dahveed]

The trailer assist doesn't work well (or at all, maybe) if you don't place the target sticker(s) on the trailer. Check your glovebox, there should be a pack of three checkerboard stickers that are targets for the camera to follow to calculate the angle of the trailer. They're not reusable, so I wouldn't slap them on a rental trailer.

 

[RickLightning]

Ford trailer hitch assist requires no stickers. It backs you up to the trailer coupler.

Range is an ESTIMATE. You setup the trailer, which allows features to work like BLIS and cross traffic alert.

As you drive, it learns about that trailer and stores the info for the future to project better.

 

[bc1]

I haven't tried the trailer tow on my max tow package yet but I believe from what I read it will back you up to the coupler once you are lined up. The checkerboard sticker is only needed to get the hitch centered directly over the ball. On a rental I would just temporarily tape one to it if you wanted to take the time to mess with it or had a bigger trailer. Can always copy one and tape it down with packing tape if need be. I've got 4 trailers as it is once we get into better weather.

That said, I've been backing up to trailers for 50 plus years and get it while only needing to get out once or twice at the most. Once I eyeball the adjustment needed to get over the ball, I leave my foot on the running board and reference a spot on the ground next to it and then go forward and back while turning the wheel.

With a backup camera, I can't imagine not getting the first try without the sticker. (unless my old age starts kicking in)

I wouldn't do it with a trailer back there unless dead sure of the height clearance, but if you hit the tailgate button and lower it, the backup camera will be pointed directly at the ground but there are better ways to do it.

 

[Maquis]

The rear view camera with the zoom function allows me to hook up to a trailer many times faster than using the “pro trailer assist.”

 

[Maquis]

Also note that if try to invoke the trailer assist on much of an incline, it will prompt you through all the steps only to tell you that it’s too steep to function right at the end.

 

[chl]

WOW, trailer assist - another fail...pathetic.

 

[Mal106]

I believe the trailer assist is for backing a trailer not hooking up. So only that needs the stickers. I've been backing trailers for 72 years so I'm OK without. The hitch cam is super for hooking up.

 

[Maquis]

I believe the trailer assist is for backing a trailer not hooking up. So only that needs the stickers. I've been backing trailers for 72 years so I'm OK without. The hitch cam is super for hooking up.

Both functions are available. I may have derailed the thread from the OP’s subject, sorry.

 

[WXman]

If you're a seasoned veteran at towing, you'll probably find the Trailer Assist to be worthless. In my opinion it actually makes it more difficult to back up the trailer. I *think* I understand what Ford was trying to do with that feature, but holding the steering wheel on the bottom instead of the top accomplishes the same thing. So it's pointless.

For me (and I would suspect anybody who's towed before) my brain is trained already, and using Trailer Assist is completely backward.

A MUCH more useful feature would have been a factory TTPMS system. Ram has had that for years.

 

[Lightning Rod]

Trailer Assist has worked well for me when I've tried it.

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